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Staatsburg man killed in truck crash

Joseph Leary, 61, of Staatsburg, died as a result of a one-vehicle accident on Jockey Hill Road in the Town of Kingston Aug. 15, according to a State Police report.

The report said Leary was driving his 2007 Chevrolet pickup eastbound when he left the roadway around 9:10am and struck the front of a residence before his truck overturned in the driveway. He was the sole occupant of the vehicle. The homeowner and her five-year-old son were home but were not injured, though there was “substantial damage” to the house, the police report said.

Sawkill Fire Department and Mobile Life responded and assisted at the scene. According to Lieutenant Paul Hogan, Leary was pronounced dead at the scene by Ulster County Medical Examiner Dr. Douglas Heller. The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but Hogan said that it appears Leary was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the accident.

Leary was a self-employed stone specialist for over 40 years, through his company, J.L. Masonry. According to his obituary, he was a member of Regina Coeli Church in Hyde Park and a nature enthusiast who enjoyed photography. He also participated in outdoor adventure sports such as skiing, jumping from helicopters, motorcycling, and skydiving and had a black belt in Karate.

Leary is survived by his mother, Elizabeth Kehlenbeck Leary, of Poughkeepsie; his daughter, Kalin Jo Leary; his brothers, Lawrence Leary Jr., of Staatsburg, and Thomas Leary, of Red Hook, and his sisters, Elizabeth Shirley, of Staatsburg, and Kathleen Colombino, of Lantana, Fla. He was buried in St. Peter’s Cemetery in Poughkeepsie.